Cull begins on infected pheasants

by
5m Editor

17 July 2005, at 12:00am

UK - The cull of a flock of 9,000 pheasants was under way yesterday after confirmation of a highly infectious bird disease.
All exports of British poultry products, including live birds, meat and eggs, to countries outside the EU have been suspended after the outbreak of Newcastle disease was confirmed at a farm in Surrey, the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed.
The pheasants, which were being reared for shooting, came to the UK as part of a recent consignment from France, and efforts are already being made to track the movements of other batches from the same source. No other suspect cases have been identified so far.
<em>Source: Scotland on Sunday</em>